Last week we visited the Bevere Gallery and then drove into Worcester, had a wander around town, and then went for a long walk by the river.
View of the bridge.
This area is a swan sanctuary. The swans here are Mute Swans, with distinctive orange bills and black face markings. They don't migrate, but travel up and down river and into nearby countryside looking for food.
The sanctuary flock is mainly young swans growing up. They arrive between autumn and spring, after leaving or being driven from their parents' territories. Their feathers turn from brown to white during their first year. Their bills take several years to tur from blue grey to orange.
At the end of the path we came upon these sculptures
and then, Diglis Bridge
of Diglis island which was was cut from a riverbank bend. The island, completed in 1844, helped bigger boats and more cargo to travel the waterways. Steady water levels were achieved by building locks and a weir.
The island used to be a hive of activity, with carpentry and blacksmithing. The lock keeper and his family lived here and there was a chapel for waterways workers.
After the steep weir arrived, people noticed an impact on fish. Migrating species struggled to reach their spawning grounds upstream. The outlook was bleak by the 2010. The solution? A fish pass for all even the rare twaite shad.
We had arrived in the city, headed for the car park and home.
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